Filling feeler for looms



y H. H. HOLCOMBE. 2,211,778

FILLING FEELER FOR LOOMS Aug. 20, 1940.

Filed Sept. 14, 1936 2 Sheets-Shea; l

INVENTOR WEE ATTORN EYS H. H. HOLCOMBE FILLING FEELER FOR LOOMS Filed Sept. 14, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 QMWQX mm a INVENTOR HUME/P l1 Hal-(OM6 av I ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 20, 1940 FILLING FEELER son LOOMS Homer H. Holcombe, Birmingham, Ala., assignor to Textile Equipment, Inc., a corporation of Alabama Application September 14, 1936, Serial No.'l00,661

13 Claims.

My invention relates to a filling feeler for looms and is characterized by the provision of a short pivoted side slipping feeler tip carried on the end of a reciprocable carrier or plunger that is adapted to follow the tip into the shuttle when the tip, unrestrained by sufficient yarn on the bobbin, side slips on the bobbin and allows the feeler plunger to assume a position responsive to which a filling replenishment is indicated.

One distinctive feature of my invention relates to the provision of a feeler tip designed to'rock about so short a radius that it makes its changecalling break or side slip While in the shuttle and, therefore both the "ieeler tip and plunger must be adapted to have free entry into the shuttle on each feeling operation resisted only by be later pointed out.

the engagement of the feeler tip with the bobbin. To be so adapted imposes definite limitations on the size of the tip, its bearings, and the design of the tip bearing end of the feeler plunger, and

\ requires special provision for so pivoting the tip on the plunger that its bearings will stand up under the wear from the severe pounding which the tip sustains by reason of its constant impact against the bobbin and yet will leave the tip always perfectly free to rock and side slip. My preferred pivotal mounting for the tip is to form a bearing stud integral with the plunger and of substantial diameter, and to hold the tip loosely mounted on such stud by a metal ferrule fitted on the plunger end to overhang the tip and hold it in place on its plunger bearing stud while leaving it free to side slip. Further, there are certain important operating advantages derived from the short radiusplay of the tip which will Another feature of my invention is that both the pivot and stop for the spring-pressed feeler tip are carried by the plunger and therefore have a fixed relation which does not vary under service conditions.

Another distinctive feature of my invention relates to the manner in which the feeler tip is yieldingly held to its normal filling-engaging position by a slide connecting its heel to a coiled tension spring in the feeler box so disposed that its pull on the tip relaxes responsive to inward movement of the feeler plunger responsive to the forward beat of the lay, thus tending practically to free the feeler tip of all spring restraint at the time it is due to call the change.

My invention further consists in the utilization of a feeler carrier, preferably in the form of a cylindrical plunger the plunger having at its end in the feeler box a lateral extension either integral or attached which coacts with guides in tion from above or below of the crank that operates the change-call mechanism.

My invention further contemplates the designing of the feeler box with an intermediate guide and stop for the plunger, and with a guide upon which the angled end or extension on the plunger rides.

My invention'iurther contemplates that the change may be called either by the inactivity of the plunger responsive to the yielding of'the' feeler tip, or through the actuation of the change calling crank either by engagement with the plunger or by an operating connection from the feeler tip heel. I

My invention furthercontemplates the novel means for mounting the side slipping feeler tip on its reciprocable carrier so that it will be sensitive and very durable and yet readily demountable for change or replacement. 7 I

My invention further comprises the novel details of construction and arrangements of parts which in their preferred embodiments only are illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of one embodiment of my feeler with the cover. of the feeler box removed, showing the same associated with a full bobbin in the forwardposition of the lay.

Fig. 2 representsthe position assumed by the feeler parts with the lay in the position shown in Fig. 1 and the filling sufiiciently exhausted to permit the feeler tip to slide and call the change.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the feeler box and a typical change-calling mechanism that is controlled by an actuator and moved only responsive to the rocking of the feeler tip as it side slips into the position shown in Fig. 2

Fig. 4 is a fragmental view showingthe crank arranged in the path of the feeler carrying plunger rather than the spring slide connected to the feeler tip, this being an arrangement used when the change is to be called bythe inactivity of the feeler plunger.

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail plan and side views of the tip bearing end of the feeler carrier showing the retaining ferrule slipped back to permit the mounting of the feeler tip on the pivot stud provided for it on the carrier,

Fig. '7 is a viewcorresponding to Fig. '1 showing a modification of my invention adapted for the control of change mechanism at the magazine end of the loom, the cover being removed from the feeler box.

,Fig. 8 is a side view of the feeler mechanism shown in Fig. '7.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

In the embodiment of my invention I show a bobbin I 0 upon which filling is wound to form a bunch II near the butt end l2 of the bobbin and thereafter the filling I3 is laid on in accordance with the usual practice. The shuttle, indicated at I in dotted lines Fig. 2, has a side opening through which the feeler mechanism has access to contact the filling on the bobbin in the shuttle when at the feeling end of the loom.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, I show a feeler box l4 adapted to be mounted in any suitable manner upon the loom stand, as by means of a bracket l5 shown in dotted lines Fig. 3 and slotted for adjustment in the manner well understood in this art. This bracket is so connected to the box that it is capable of any desired adjustment to properly set the feeler to its work. In its normal operating position the feeler is set directly in front of the shuttle opening and the feeler is intended to slide in a line normal to the axis of the bobbin.

The box I4 is an open top casting formed with side walls l6 and a rear wall I! toward the lay. Along the base of the right hand side wall I6 is formed a slide guide I8 to receive the angled end !9 of the cylindrical feeler plunger which slides with a close fit through a hole in the front wall I! and through a bore in a bearing 2| cast integral with the box and formed with a tip 22 adapted to engage and stop the plunger end 19 when it reaches its full extended position shown in Fig. 2.

The tip bearing end of the feeler plunger 20 is cut away to provide a fiat horizontal seat 23 having an end stop shoulder 24 which is engaged by the feeler tip 25 while yieldably held in its normal working position as shown in Fig. 1. An integral cylindrical bearing boss 26 isleft in the center of the seat 23 and the feeler is formed with an opening to fit loosely over this boss as a means for pivotally mounting it on the'plunger. The boss has a threaded hole tapped axially in its center to receive a screw 26a. and this screw is adapted to be passed down through the opening in ferrule 2% which has flanges 26c bent around the plunger so that the ferrule can be slipped forwardly to clear the seat 23, as shown in Fig. 5, and after the feeler tip has been mounted on the boss the ferrule can be shifted rearward to rest on the boss 26 and stop 24 and overhang the plunger seat 23 and thus provide a hold-down for the feeler tip that will coact with the seat 23 to hold the tip level and prevent it from jumping over or under the bobbin when slightly out of level with its axis. The screw 26a will hold the ferrule rigidly in its normal position over, but not bending on, the feeler tip.

The feeler tip is provided with a curved set of teeth 2'! designed to contact the filling I3 on the bobbin and adapted when engaged with the filling to hold the tip against turning on its pivot. The tip is held to Working position by a spring stressed rod 28 leading from its heel 29 through a guide opening in the wall I! and provided at its forward end in the box M with a hook 30 engaged by a coiled tension spring 3| connected to an element 32 of the box. This rod 28 normally reciprocates with the plunger 20 and its spring acts through the connection to heel 29 to hold the feeler tip biased against its stop 24 and towards its normal filling-engaging position shown in Fig. 1.

The end [9 of the plunger is connected by a coiled tension spring 33 to the box wall I! and this spring acts oppositely to the spring 3i to stress the plunger rearwardly toward the bobbin.

It will be at once observed that as the connection 28 moves with the plunger responsive to the engagement of the feeler tip with the filling on a bobbin moving forward with the lay, there will be increasing resistance to the feeler motion from the spring 33 and decreasing resistance from spring 3| to a rocking motion or side slip of the feeler tip. The result of this arrangement is that when the feeler arrives at the critical position wherein it should or should not call the change it will find itself practically unrestrained by spring 3!, which is relaxed, and under increased pressure by spring 33 so that when the feeler tip tries to move, it is practically free to rock and under strong spring pressure so to do, except as it i restrained by engagement with yarn on the bobbin.

A bobbin change when indicated by the feeler mechanism may be called by various means. In Fig. 3 I show the conventional wire transmitter which has its end toward the feeler journalled in a bearing 4| integral with the box and rising above its top level. The wire has at its feeler end a crank 42 which drops down, as shown in Fig. 1, into position to be engaged by the hook 30 on the connection 28 and, when the change is due to be called, it will be rocked rearwardly by the hook as it moves to the position shown in Fig. 2 when it will call the change.

Fig. 1 shows the bobbin NJ with a full complement of filling l3 in the full forward position of the lay and it will be seen that the plunger is in fully retracted position with the spring 3! fully relaxed, the spring 33 under heaviest tension and the filling l3 holding the toothed feeler tip against rocking.

In Fig. 2 I show the position of parts when the change has been called, and here it will be seen that the plunger 20 has engaged its stop 22 with its end in the shuttle close to the feeler wood of the bobbin, this extreme motion of the plunger being permitted by the rocking of the feeler tip as it side slips on the bobbin when there was not sufficient filling left on the bobbin or in the bunch II to restrain it. This side slipping occurred under very light resistance from spring 3| and under heavy pressure applied by spring 33 and it produced a quick rearward jerk of the hook 3D slightly in advance of the plunger and this rearward motion rocks the crank 42 toward wall l1, causing the transmitter to lower its crank 43, which is mounted in a bearing extension 44 on cross arm 45 of the change calling mechanism which at its forward end is connected to an arm 46 fast on the change calling rocker shaft 41. The cross arm carries on its side away from the feeler a stop 48 under the weighted end 49a of dog 49 which is pivoted to the arm and is weighted so that it normally rests on the stop 48. Its end toward the loom carries an underhung latch adapted to be tripped by the dagger 4% on the snake-head arm, not shown, or on any corresponding moving part of the loom. When crank 42 is pulled rearward, crank 43 is depressed and presses down the rearward end of the latch 49 so that it will be moved into the path of the oncoming dagger and thereby actuated to call the change. When the crank 42 is not pressed rearward the latch is held by gravity by its weighted end out of the path of the dagger.

A suitable top cover 50 is provided to fit over the box and it is removably held by a screw 5| that engages in the bearing 2|. The lid is slotted to clear the bearing 4i and the crank 42, and the bottom of the box underlying the crank 42 is also notched out at 52 so that if desired the crank motion can be taken from below instead of-above the feeler box.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 4, the transmitter All is shifted forwardly and mounted in a bearing Ma where its crank 42 will drop through a suitable aperture in top 50 into the path of the rear bent end IQ of the plunger 20. The full lines show the position assumed by the crank when the feeler is in the change-calling position shown in Fig. 2. In the operation of this embodiment of my invention, each time that the plunger is moved by the engagement of its feeler tip with suflicient filling on the bobbin, its motion will rock the crank 42 toward its dotted position, which will throw the crank 43a downwardly and depress the latch bearing end of the dog 49, but in this instance the dog is inverted to present its latch 49c uppermost and the dagger 49b is disposed to work over instead of under the dog.

Each normal motion of plunger 2!], therefore, will depress the latch 49c and cause it to miss the dagger 4%, but whenever the feeler tip side slips, as in Fig. 2, the plunger end l9 will stand still or substantially so, the crank 42 will remain in full line position, the latch 590 will remain in the path of the dagger 69b and the change will be called. In other words, the absence of normal plunger movement will leave the latch in the path of the dagger and call the change.

It is obvious that the crank motion may be used either to move the dog out of the path of the dagger, leaving the counterweight on the dog to restore it, or the plunger can be adapted positively to move the dog into the path of the dagger, leaving gravity to move it out of the dagger path.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, I show a modified design for use Where the feeler is placed at the magazine end of the loom so that the change is called by the action of the feeler on the bobbin while under the magazine and in this arrangement, it being impossible for the shuttle to be displaced so as to bring the butt l2 of the bobbin any further to the right than is shown in the drawings, Fig. '7. it is safe to reverse the position of the feeler tip 25 so that it slips toward the butt end of the bobbin. I find this an important advantage in insuring the close stripping of the bobbin so that practically no filling is left outside of the bunch I I.

The plunger 60 for the feeler in this design is elongated so that it passes through the wall 6! and through the wall 62 of the feeler box and its end beyond the wall 62 is bent to form an angled guide 63 which works in a guide slot 64 in the vertical wall 85. This guide projects beyond the slot 64 and when the feeler assumes change-calling position is end will be close to an element 66 that moves with the weft hammer and by engaging the element 63 it will insure the feeler being withdrawn from the path of the incoming bobbin.

Upstanding from a fixed bracket is a guide 68 which receives a reciprocable change controller 69 secured to a crank H3 on the rocker shaft 1|. This shaft is rotatably mounted in arms 12 extending forwardly from the bracket 6'! and is surrounded by a coiled spring 13 interposed between a set collar M secured to the shaft and one of the arms 12, which spring 13 holds the rear end of the controller 69 normally clear of a vertically oscillating lever 75 which receives motion from a vertically reciprocating block 18 and has connection with the replenishing mechanism, not shown, by means of a link 11.

. I mount fast on the end of shaft 1 l, in line with the plunger 60, a crank 18 adapted to be set in any desired position on the shaft H by means of the set screw 79. This arm has its upperend formed with an elongated slot 80 which stands in line with the pull rod 8|, corresponding to 28 in Fig. 1. This rod 8| passes freely through guide holes in the end portions 61 and 62 of the feeler housing and has its inner end connected to the heel portion 29 of the feeler and its outer end threaded to receive a nut 82. The nut is so adjusted that, during the normal travel of the plunger and feeler, it does not engage the crank arm 18 and thus the spring 13 holds the controller in non-change calling position.

When, however, the feeler tip side slips and assumes the position shown in Fig. 2, the plunger 80 will be pressed rearwardly beyond its position shown in Fig. 7 by the action of the spring 83 which surrounds it in the feeler box and works between wall 62 and a key-mounted washer 84. This spring will press the plunger towards its rearward position and when the tip rocks its heel will jerk the pull rod 8! rearward, causing its nut 82 to shift the crank arm 18 rearwardly and move the controller 69 under the change lever 15 so that the latter will influence the change calling mechanism through the connection 11 and effect a change of bobbins in the shuttle under the magazine.

The feeler housing has an end extension 85 provided with a downturned bearing lug 86 bored to receive a pivot bolt 81 which is screwed into the bracket arm 12 and serves to pivotally support the feeler at its forward end. A bushing, indicated at 88, surrounds the screw 81 and is slidable through the hole in the bearing 86. A set screw 89 secures the lug 86 to the bushing and permits the whole feeler mechanism to be shifted axially along the sleeve into the desired alignment and then locked in position by this set screw.

In Fig. 8 it will be seen that the crank arm 18 extends below the shaft 1! and carries a bent stop 98 adapted to engage under the adjacent bracket arm 12 and limit the counter-clockwise rotation of the shaft H so that the controller 69 clears the lever 15, as shown in Fig. 7.

The base of the feeler housing has a side extension Bl overhanging an arm 92 on the bracket 61. A stop screw 93 is screwed upwardly through arm 92 to engage the feeler extension 9! so as to adjust the feeler vertically into correct relationship with the slot in the shuttle box. The feeler housing carries a bottom lug 84 to which a coiled tension spring 95 is attached. its otherv end being made fast to some fixed portion of the loom or bracket 81. This spring tends to hold the feeler against the stop screw 83, but at the same time will permit the whole feeler to rock upwardly about its pivot 81' whenever a bobbin hangs in a shuttle. The feeler housing will have a suitable cover, not shown, applied over it with a side flange engaged between the notches 96 and held fast by screws entering the holes 9? in the housing walls BI and 62.

In this device all moving feeler parts work idle with respect to the change calling mechanism until the feeler tip slides. Thereupon a quick rearward jerk on the pull rod 8| occurs which will shift the controller 69 into the path of lever '15 and call the change, but the tip will slide only when the filling is exhausted on the bobbin. I provide a stop screw IDI to limit the travel of the plunger towards the lay.

All embodiments of my invention which have been described function alike in respect of their filling-feeling action, and are to 'be distingushed I from the feelers in commercial use in that the feeler tip in side slipping is designed and adapted to rock about a radius so short that it really slips when it is in the shuttle, the near side of which is indicated by the dotted lines H30 in Fig. 2. This necessitates a design which will permit the feeler tip and its plunger to freely enter the shuttle and the very limited space available for an opening in the side of the shuttle imposes certain difiiculties of design and construction which have been not easy to overcome. One of these difiiculties is that the feeler tip must withstand constant and violent impact from the bobbin and yet be quite free at all times to rock about it's pivot on the end of the plunger that must be of a size adapted to enter the shuttle with the feeler. Therefore, an important feature of my invention lies in mounting the feeler tip on the stud 26 integral with the plunger which thus retains practically its full diameter opposite the stud. This arrangement transfers all working stress and impact directly to a stout integral shoulder on the plunger and it provides an ample purchase for the ferrule mounting screw 26a which is subject to no other duty than to hold the ferrule 26b in position to hold the feeler tip level on the stud. This screw thus is relieved of any torsion from the action of the feeler tip and the whole provides a fixed bearing having ample strength to give long wear for the feeler tip.

Another feature of advantage with the short radius tip is that it permits the rearward bearing wall I! or 6! to stand substantially close to the shuttle to hold the plunger firmly against vertical play which might permit it to jump over or under the bobbin when it does not strike on the exact horizontal axial plane through the bobbin axis. Also the rearward extension of the ferrule end to overhang the plunger end, serves to hold the feeler tip against vertical displacement that might tend to cause it to jump over or under the bobbin and prematurely call the change.

The most important advantages, however, de-

1 rived from the short radius feeler tip have relation to the feeling action itself. A short radius tip, set with its teeth substantially out of line with the plunger and on a curve substantially as shown, will impose a strong off-center thrust when the filling contacts the feeler tip which will tend to rock the tip, andthis force is the more effective the shorter the distance from the tooth to the axis of the tip. The short radius tip thus increases the power applied to the feeler to rock .it. Also the shorter this radius of the tip the shorter the extent of feeler wood over which it will slide as its slips. As the lay advances, after making contact with the feeler, the pressure against the feeler tip to rock it increases as the resistance of the spring 33 builds up and at the same time the action of the spring 3!, tending to resist the side slipping of the tip, becomes increasingly weakened. Thus, the further the lay travels after feeler engagement, the more powerful its effect upon the feeler to call the change. Whenever either the impact or the pressure thus produced overcomes the power of any strand or strands of filling remaining on the feeler wood to hold the tip against side slipping, the tip will side slip but in doing so it will slide over a very short section of feeler Wood. As it rocks the succeeding teeth which engage the feeler wood act as fulcrums on which its free end rocks so as to assume an abrupt angle away from the .feeler wood. In other words, the rounded tip having a short radius knuckling action against the feeler wood will tend to ride over rough places and even indentations therein without hanging and, due to the very short area on the feeler wood with which it contacts, it will not hang even on very rough places unless they happen to be in that particular area. All wooden bobbins have their feeler wood very quickly roughened and scarred up by the use of automatic means for stripping therefrom the bunches of filling that are left on the ejected bobbin and therefore it is a matter of great practical importance that the feelers work be kept as free as possible from interference by reason of such rough places on the bobbins. In the case of long feeler tips that rock with a radius of several inches, such as are in general commercial use, this tip must slip over the major portion of the feeler wood in calling a change which increases the hazard to its work, and furthermore the longer the radius on which the feeler tip rocks the easier it will be for a rough place to hold the feeler tip and prevent a change being called.

A further advantage of my feeler is not only that its plunger is provided with ample bearing to hold it against vertical displacement and that these bearings are brought close to the shuttle, but also that the plunger in applicants design is set always normal, not at an angle, to the bobbin and I thus eliminate the difficulties inherent in setting and maintaining the feelers at some particular acute angle to the bobbin which is an operating problem usually present since feelers generally must be disposed at some prescribed angle to the work to facilitate their side slipping.

While I have shown my invention in several forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In feeler for controlling the change calling mechanism of an automatic loom, a feeler tip against the stop, rigid means to hold the tip loosely mounted on its pivot, the tip having a short curved toothed feeling portion offset from the slide and projecting beyond the adjacent slide end only far enough so that it alone will engage a bobbin being felt throughout its feeling and change calling operations, all of the mounting mechanism associated with the tip at the rear end of said slide being designed and disposed to enter the shuttle and box for the bobbin being felt free of engagement with any part movable with the bobbin being felt and to such an extent that the tip is free to break and side slip within the shuttle and by its changed relationship with the bobbin alone call the change.

2. A filling feeler for automatic looms, comprising a, single feeler slide rod mounted and adapted freely to enter side openings in the box and shuttle containing the bobbin to be felt, a short feeler tip pivoted on, and forming a rearward extension of, said rod, guide and stop means to confine the rod motion to a limited reciprocation which presents it normal to, but holds it short of engagement with the feeler wood of said bobbin, a stop and spring means coacting yieldably to hold. said tip substantially in line with said rod, and a curved toothed end on said top which alone engages the bobbin and which curves laterally offside to the rod axis to cause it to side slip when not restrained by sufficient yarn on the bobbin feeler wood, the toothed end of the tip. and its axis being substantially equi-distant fronr the interposed shuttle wall when the tip side slips whereby the tip bodily enters the shuttle only when it side slips.

3. A feeler controlling the change calling mechanism of an automatic loom, comprising a reciprocable slide, guides and stop means therefor, a spring means to press the slide adapted to stop same just short of engagement with the spindle of a bobbin to be felt, a tip, a stud rigidly mounted on the rear end of the slide on which the tip is loosely pivoted, a stop on the slide for the tip, spring means to yieldingly hold the tip against its said stop, and a ferrule secured to the slide and adapted to hold the tip free to rock on its pivot, the slide and ferrule being so designed and said tip being of so short a radius that when the tip side slips the slide and ferrule will freely enter the shuttle bearing the bobbin being felt, for the purposes above described.

4. In a feeler for controlling a, change calling mechanism of an automatic loom, a reciprocable feeler rod, spring means to urge the rod rearwardly, guide means for the rod adapted to prevent its tilting about its axis as it reciprocates, a tip bearing and stud formed at the rear end of the rod, a tip pivotally mounted on said stud, a tip stop, spring means to hold the tip movably against its stop, and a ferrule in the form of a sleeve adapted to be slipped over the tip bearing end of the feeler rod and to be secured in place over said tip bearing by a screw threaded into the stud on said rod.

5. A feeler according to claim 4, in which the stop is at the rear end of said tip bearing and said ferrule has a rear extension resting on the tip stop on the feeler rod to hold the tip end against a Vertical deflection that might permit it slipping over or under a bobbin being felt.

6. In a, feeler for controlling a change call-,

ing mechanism for an automatic loom, a housing, a round rod having an angled end slidably mounted in the housing with slide guides to prevent rotation about the rod axis, the tip bearing end of the rod being cut away to provide a tip mounting stud and a tip stop, a tip pivotally mounted on the stud, spring means to press the tip against the stop, and a ferrule secured on I slide rod, means to guideand limit it to reciprocating motion towards the bobbin to be felt, a horizontal tip seat having an integral pivot stud both out from the round stock at the inner end of said rod, a short toothed tip, means to mount it on said seat and stud free to side slip laterally when unrestrained by yarn on said bobbin, a stop, and spring means acting to hold the tip in its normal yarn engaging position.

8. A filling feeler according to claim 7, in which the tip stop is also cut from the rod stock and disposed at the rear end of the tip seat.

9. In a filling feeler for controlling the bobbin change calling mechanism in an automatic loom, a slide and means to mount it for reciprocation normal to the axis of the bobbin to be felt, spring means to urge the slide toward the bobbin, a tip pivotally mounted on the slide with a short toothed feeler portion offset to one side of the tip pivot and projecting beyond the rear end of the slide, a spring stressed rod and a stop acting on the tip to yieldingly hold it in feeling position free to side slip and call for a bobbin change, the slide being of round stock with its forward end bent toone' side and its rear tip-bearing end reduced to form the pivot, the mounting and the stop for the tip, and a slide guide for said bent slide end formed in part by a removable cover on the slide mounting means.

10. A filling feeler for controlling a change calling mechanism for an automatic loom, comprising a feeler slide, a housing in which the slide is rcciprocably mounted normal to the bobbin to be felt, a spring to press said slide rearwardly, an angled forward end on the slide, guide means for said end, a short feeler tip pivotally mounted on the rear end of the slide so as to have a short radius, serrated, bobbin-engaging end offset to one side of the slide and a heel offset to the other side, a, pull rod connected to the heel and entering said housing, and a coiled tension spring in the housing connected to said pull rod and disposed to exert an influence thereon opposite to that eX- erted by the first mentioned spring on said slide. 11. A feeler mechanism according to claim 1,

- in which the guide means for the slide is mounted on a bearing on which it is free to rock vertically and to shift laterally, means to lock it in set lateral adjustment, and spring and stop means coacting normally to hold the slide guide means horizontal.

12. In a filling feeler for controlling the bobbin change calling mechanism in an automatic loom, a slide and means to mount it for reciprocation normal to the axis of the bobbin to be felt, spring means to urge the slide toward the bobbin, a tip pivotally mounted on the slide with a short toothed feeler portion offset to one side of the tip pivot and projecting beyond the rear end of the slide, a spring, a rod stressed thereby and a stop, which three latter elements coact to hold the tip yieldingly in feeling position free to side-slip to call for a bobbin change, and means to mount said tip spring in position to reduce its stress exerted on the tip as its slide is displaced in its mounting means by an advancing bobbin to be felt.

13. In a, filling feeler for controlling the bobbin change calling mechanism in an automatic loom, a slide and means to mount it for reciprocation normal tothe axis of the bobbin to be felt, spring means to urge the slide toward the bobbin, a tip pivotally mounted on the slide with a short toothed feeler portion offset to one side of the tip pivot and projecting beyond the rear end of the slide, a spring, a rod stressed thereby and a stop, which three latter elements coact to hold the tip yieldingly in feeling position free to side-slip to call for a bobbin change, the slide spring being arranged to exert an increasing influence on the tip as the slide is displaced by an advancing bobbin while under similar circumstances the spring controlling the stressed rod is arranged to exert a decreasing influence on the tip.

HOMER H. I-IOLCOMIBE. 

